verlinden - lock on 017 - su-27

8/6/2019 Verlinden - Lock on 017 - Su-27

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Cover: Sukhoi Su-27 'Flanker A' heading for the runway, lacking all underwing stores but finished in the standard Sovietcamouflage scheme.

Title page: Sister ship "02" having been serviced on the apron, ready for another sortie. Sukhoi physical appearance closelyresembles the MIG-29 except for the vertical tale surfaces. devoid of the front fairings.

COPYRIGHT 11992ByVERLINDEN PRODUCTIONSa Verlinden & Stok nv Div.isionOndernemersstraat 4 KMO-Zone Mallekot8-2500 lIERl8ELGIUMAU rights reserved.No parts 01 this book may be reproduced in any form, storedin a retrieval system or transmitted in any form and by anymeans, be it electronic, mechanical, photocopying orotherwise. without the written consent 01 the publisherVERLINDEN PUBLICATIONS I VERLINDEN & STOK NV.Published in Belgium byVERLINDEN PUBLICATIONS nvOnd:ernemersstraal4KMO-Zone MallekotB-2500 LlERIBELGIUMPublished and distributed in the United States byVlS CORPORATION811, Lone Star DriveLone Star Industr ial ParkO'Fallon, Mo 63366USA.Tel. (314) 281-5700.Fax (314) 281-5750.

Project Manager &Chief EditorUS EditorText & ResearchLayout

: FranQois VERLINDEN: Bob LETIERMAN: Wi.lly PEETERS: Willy PEETERS: SCANBO/Beerzel Belgium: Drukkerij DE PEUTER nv.IHerentals Belqiurn

PhotogravurePrinted by

ACKNOWLEDGMENTSVerlinden Publications wishes to thank Robert SENKOWSKI & Cezary PIOTROWSKIand the Soviet Air Force for submitting all photographs and general info.

Readers are invited to send in slides and/or clear color photographs onmilitary subjects which may be used in future LOCKONpubucatlons,Additional information on military aircraft of any kind IS also welcomed.Malterial used will be paid for upon publication and unused material willbe returned upon request. Original slides and photographs will Ibehandled with extreme care.Clearly state name and address when sending in your material.


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INTRODUCTIONWhenever it came to handing out awards for the most sophisticatedlooking aircraft, Soviet designers never took the front row and they didnot seem to care the least. They knew most of their designs had to dowithout the technical know-how and high class basic materials of thewest, so they concentrated on design specifications such as speed andsurvivability.However, today's Soviet fighters benefitted from western information andhardware, obtained through various sources, and equal or outscore theflight performances of western designs such as the F-16, F-15 and eventhe F-14. Still it is believed they are way behind in the field of targetaquisition and related software. Western pilot's even claim to have theedge over their counterparts in the east when it comes to aerial combattactics. Whatever the case, the Sukhoi SU-27 (NATO codenameFlanker) and the MIG-29 are fighters of a new era, beautiful aircraft bothon the ground and in the air with amazing maneuverability

characteristics and a firepower to reckon with in air-to-air combat.Believed to be designed in the mid 70's with flight testing taking place in1977, the Su-27 design kept western analysists busy until the first realsighting was reported by a Norwegian P-3 Orion on 13 September 1987when intercepted by two Sukhoi's over the Barents Sea..Nowadays the Sukhoi Su-27, which by fighter aircraft standards isa bigaircraft, is a regular contender of airshows in the west where it stunnedspectators on its first public display by performing the "Cobra" or tail-slide maneuver (Paris, 1989) without disgracefully crashing in front ofthe crowd. It takes a good design to maneuver from level flight to a nose-up positon of 1200 (well beyond the vertical). flying tail first and pitchingforward again to regain level flight without appreciable loss of altitude.Whether this maneuver can be desicive in air-to-air combat is questionedby many NATO pilots but the fact remains the Su-27 Sukhoi is a fighterto be reckoned with in the future.

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Forward fuselage section clearly showing the three-piece canopy withfuselage-incorporated framing and the high cockpit setting, giving excellentall-round visibilty.The white radome is not standard but does seem to appear on severaloccasions. Note the angle-of-attack sensor vanejust in front of the red/whitenumber "31".4

The nose cone-mounted pitot tube through whichvaluable atmospheric and speed-related informationreaches the flight control computers, subsequentlytransferred to the pilot's instrument panel. Apart fromthe light blue section, the pitot tube is bare metaloverall. Note the red marker on each and every screw.

Below the nose "Odd Rod" type IFF (IdentificationFriend or Foe) antennas and TACAN antenna withmost forward an additional angle-of-attack sensorvane of which several can be found on the aircraft,serving the f1y-by-wire system. Such a vane is rarelyseen in this central position below the nose.


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Two more static pitot tubes appear on the upper fuse.lage, oneither side of the cockpit. Variousmaneuvers with different anglesof attack (AoA) require input from various sources. Information isanalyzed by the f1y-by-wire flight control system and translatedinto flap and tailplane settings.

Close-up of the GS-301 30mm cannon muzzle area covered withtitanium plating (the best heat-absorbing material). The louversin the panel behind serve to diverge gun gas exhaustswhich buildup during firing of the gun. A somewhat crude matching of panelsoccurs in this area, despite the aircraft's modern design.

The Su-27, like the F -18 Hornet,features a leading edge extension (orLEX) however not faired with the full-span leading edge flap. To limit upwardflap deflection a small pin aside the flapmatches a notch in the LEX side. Asignificant advantage of the leadingedge extensions and fuselage/wingblending is the creation of vortices thatenergizes the airflow over the outerwing panels, significantly increasing lift.

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Especially designed for rough field operations the single wheel sturdy nosegear features a mud guard/FOD screen with downward facing deflectorlouvers guiding all debris away from the large air intakes. It pivots aroundthe wheel axis and is connected to the nose gear leg by two struts. A greencolored antenna is located just aft and to the left of the wheel well.6


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Wheel well interior looking forward. The Sukhoi nose gear ispushed straight forward into the bay by a single actuator whichhas an integral fairing which remains visible on the outside of thebottom fuselage once the gear is retracted.A single retraction actuator closes the dual-hinged, single-piecenose gear door which is painted red on its inside surfaces. TheNl and N2 battery have been stored in this area, forward of thewheel well.

Dual landing lights are mounted high on the nose gear leg, wellclear off debris encountered on rough terrain. Rather than havingaccess panels cut in the aircraft's skin, the hinged roof of thenose wheel well can be removed to gain access to variousconnectors and system control boxes. The Sukhoi is designedwith remote area operations in mind, with emphasis on self-sufficiency.Note the light gray interior of the nosegear well.

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The aircraft features a "Sirena" radar warning antenna fairing onthe bottom side of each intake, consisting of a dielectric front(painted green) and a metal aft part. Note the spring-loadedauxiliary intake slats on the bottom.

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Inside each air intake is an FOD screen, hinged at the bottom andpneumatically operated by this actuator which can be maintainedfrom this side. Note how the squared edge of the intake tapersinto the actual engine nacelle.

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Ten hardpoints can be used to carrymissiles, ranging from the AA-8 Aphid tothe AA-l1 for its air defense role with thelimitation of 10 missiles being carried atanyone time. One such pylon is installedbelow each air intake as this view shows.


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The Su-27 has no outboard ailerons but isequipped with single trailing edgeflaperons, spanning half of the inboardwing. They are hydraulically actuated andcontrolled by the a.ircraft's f1y-by-wireflight control system. Note the curvedupper surface of the wingtip missilelauncher, the position of the "red star"marking and the static dischargers on theoutboard trailing edge.Top left Whereas wingtip missilelaunchers on western designed aircraftfeature outboard facing launch rails, theSukhoi missile launch rail is on the bottomside. A wingtip position light (seen herewithout cover) is installed on the aft part.Note the camouflage pattern, serialnumber and national insignia on theoutboard vertical tail surfaces as well asthe green dielectric panel on the verticaltail. leading edge. .

Left Main landing gear and gearcompartment is also somewhat unusualwith only the main wheel confined insidethe fuselagewhile the main wheel leg foldstightly against the wing/fuselage joint tobe covered by a concave door. Part of thefuselage treshold has been lowered to letthe main wheel pass. Inner and aftsidewalls have structural strengthenersand apart from some pneumatic feed linesand electrical wiring little or no back-upsystems can be found inside the well.


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A single pneumatic actuator attached to the rearsidewall operates the main gear cover which is paintedbright red on its inner surfaces. Note the moon-shapedembossing in the roof.The main gear strut has only one swivel or hinge pointas seen in the picture at right. The gear door lockingdevice can be seenforward right

The main wheel well look.ing forward, distinctively showing the conicalfa.iring at the wing root as part of the outside gear cover. To simplifyidentification of various supply lines each is painted a different color,common practice with Soviet aircraft. Also note the different colors of well.

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Full side view of the maingear area with large geardoor and its two hingeassemblies. A fairing at thebottom fuselage houses thegear downlock/fuselageattachment point.The sturdy strut and over-inflated large tires aredesigned for touchdownson unprepared landingstrips or to withstandlandings by inexperiencedyoung pilots, for whichpurpose the main wheelsare equipped with anintegral cooling fan insidethe wheel hub assembly toaccomodate heavy brakingrequirements.Some exhaust tubes,engine inspection panelsand main refuelling panelare located on thestarboard side, aft of themain landing gear.Differently shapedinspection panels arelocated in the titaniumcovered part of the bottomengi.nenacelle.

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Dark green dielectric panel covers communication antenna in the right fintip with trailing edge antennas connected to onboard radar warning andnavigation systems .. Note seven aluminum rivets forming a distinctivetriangle on both sides of the dielectrical panel.

More inspection panels below the aft fuselage strake where the taiJplane'sarc-of-deflection is painted on the fuselage side..Very unusual is that part ofthe strake is an integral part of the tallplane. featuring an actuator fairing aftof the rudder panel. .-

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Perfect shot to show the Sukhoi's distinctively shaped uppersurfaces with twin t ailp le nes , large engine nacelles andempenna.ge. Current empennage designs include strakesterminating in dielectric covers for tail waming sensors. Wingflaps and tailplanes have drooped because of the absence ofhydraulic power but rudders show no deflection. This view dearlyshows the stabilator's surface area inside the vertical tail fairingand the limited view to the rear from the forward angled cockpit.Upper surface detail will be shown on pages 24 through 30.

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Bottom view of the same showing the shape of the engine nacelles. taperingfrom a square cross section into a round, bulky engine housing. Handle inthe bottom tail cone is related to the drag chute split housing. Apparent isthe low position of the engines in relation to the rest of the fuselage.

The pointed tailcone viewed from the side with theOdd Rod type antenna on top and green tail warningsensors on the sides..Note the quick release inspectionpanel on the lower part of the cone, easy accessiblefrom the ground.

Neatly faired engine exhaust nozzles with interfacingfeathers. Exhaust interior with afterburner ignitionrings and perforated cone is seen above. Note thechalk-written number on the cone remained intactdespite the tremendous heat development inside.15


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Top Slightly different antennalayout on the left vertical tailtrailing edge but also servingradar warning and navigationpurposes. Heavy discoloring isseen on the vertical tail surfaces,inside and outside.

Right Similar inspection panelscan be found on the left outboardengine housing as thosedescribed on page 1.2. Theyellow deflection markingreappears in front of the all-metalhorizontal stabilizer which can bedeflected seperately or in unisonup to 40.Horizontal stabilizers, ruddersand fJaperonsare integrated witheach other through the flightcontrol system.16


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Both sides of the aircraft have a large ventral fin mounted belowthe dorsal vertical. Although not installed on this particular etc itslocation is marked just outside of the two bottom inspectionopenings (note discoloring of the fuselage and both attachmentpoints). These ventral fins limit takeoff rotation angle to 17.Note space between horizontal tail and fuselage.

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In order to reach some inspection panels located on the side ofthe vertical tail surfaces an exterior ladder is hooked-up insidetwo holes immediately below the unit marking. Note the hoistinqpoint marking in front of the ladder and both markingsrepresenting a screw on the inspection panels. Application ofdifferent camouflage colors is apparent.

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Top left and right Left side landinggear strut and wheel well interiorclosely resembles starboard sidelayout, except for the additional greenhoses to the front wheel well bulkheadand the system control box inside theconical fairing at front.

Left External power receptacle islocated on the left side bottomfuselage, just aft of the landing gearhook-up fairing with a smallcommunications hook-up panel next toit. Note various markings.


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/Further coverage of the left sidemain gearwell holds no surprises, being a mirrorimage of the right side. The extra view onthis page concentrates on the main wheeldisc brake and eleborate inner wheeldetail. Note the rather primitive system tomeasure the scissor downlink deflection inrelation to the main oleo.

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Underwing pylons are integrallyinterchangeable, made clear whencomparing the photo at left with thoseon page 9.Wide space between the enginenacelles provides space for twoadditional, centrally located pylons tothe bottom fuselage with the most aftpylon (seen below ) partiallysubmerged in the empennage frontalstrake. The hydraulic ground supporthook-up is located in front and to theright of this pylon as shown below.Note the interior color of the hatch andboth quick releasewindows in same.

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The second pylon can be foundbetween the engine intakes next to theintake FOD screen actuators (panelsremoved for inspection). Similar to theoutside bleed air slots, the inwardintake lips are equipped with theseairflow and shock wave controlopenings, providing adequate airflow athigh angles of attack (AOA) duringcombat maneuvering.Note the structural strenghtenerson theemennage/fuselage joint in the bottomleft picture and the left forward nosedetail with dielectric panel in theremaining photo on this page.

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A large infrared search and track(IRST) sensor (almost identical to theone used on the MIG-29) partiallyobscures pilot's forward view becauseof its installation in a faired housingimmediately ahead of the windscreen(offset to the right on the MIG-29).It has a day/night au-to-air search andtrack capability and is an integratedpart of the onboard laser rangefinderfor both air-to-air and air-to-surfacemodes of firing.However, it does not provide targetidentification capability and has onlylimited air-to-surface capability.

Spinal mounted blade antenna and asmall whi.te bulb can be foundimmediately behind the canopy,followed by the main fuselage filler capfor the T -1 (TS-l or TC-I as marked)kerosene fuel.24


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Forward right fuel tank position indicated by its fillercap at far left. Note the simple cross and dotted redline marking a NO STEP area and the absence of anyinscription on this fairly large panel.

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The Sukhoi has very fewquick release panels andmaintenance or smallrepairs inevitablyrequires unscrewing ofmany bolts asdemonstrated at far left.The blending fromcentral upper spine towing area is built upusing small segmentedpanels of various shapesand sizes instead of asingle convex panel. Alarge green dielectricantenna panel is locatedaft of the speed brake.Outer wing fuel tanksare filled through asingle fuel filler capshown at bottom right.Note the wing hoistingpoint some 50cm to thefront.

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verlinden - lock on 017 - su-27

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